A few weeks ago, it became apparent that the Dallas Cowboys were going to have to release or trade some premier talent due to salary cap reasons. Most notably for the Cowboys is WR Amari Cooper. Cooper started his career with the Raiders before being traded to Dallas in 2018. On March 12th, just days before the new year starts, the Cowboys decided to move on from Cooper, trading him to the Cleveland Browns. Let us analyze the deal, why Cooper fits Cleveland, and what this means for the Cowboys going forward.

Trade Details

Dallas Receives: 

• 2022 5th Round Pick

• 2022 6th Round Pick

Cleveland Receives:

• WR Amari Cooper

• 2022 6th Round Pick

Breaking Down Cooper

It was very obvious that the Cleveland Browns needed a number one receiver at the end of the season. They do have some nice pieces like WR Donovan Peoples-Jones and TE David Njoku, but that is really it at the moment with WR Jarvis Landry likely headed elsewhere. Cleveland receivers struggled last season to win one-on-one matchups and did not have that “go-to” receiver to hit when they needed a third-down conversion, especially after the release of WR Odell Beckham Jr. 

As for Cooper, he is widely regarded as one of the best route runners in football, showing the ability to create separation. Even in a down year with a loaded Dallas receiving core, Cooper had 865 yards and 8 touchdowns in 15 games. His eight touchdowns tied a career-high, which is a number he also hit in 2019. For a career, he has 7,076 yards and 46 receiving touchdowns. The one thing that probably caused the draft picks to be lower is that Cooper is owed $20M, which is a lot for a receiver. Regardless, this move is a really nice fit for the Cleveland Browns and a reliable weapon for QB Baker Mayfield.

Jarvis Landry

Unfortunately, the trade for WR Amari Cooper most likely means Jarvis Landry’s tenure as a Cleveland Brown is over. Landry has a $16.3M cap hit, which is a lot for a number two receiver, especially with Cooper’s salary as well. Landry and the Browns have discussed a restructure, so that is still up in the air. Landry wants to add years to his deal, but Cleveland is hesitant at the moment. After the Cooper trade, Cleveland also gave Landry permission to seek a trade as well. If it is in fact the end for Landry in Cleveland, he would have played four years, hauling in 288 catches for 3,560 yards, 15 receiving touchdowns, and 4 rushing touchdowns. He was also a major part in bringing Cleveland back to relevance, as he was a part of the Browns first playoff appearance in over 20 years. In two playoff games, he scored two touchdowns. While he still has a chance to stay in Cleveland, all signs are pointing the other way.

Beginning of the End for Dallas?

The Cowboys have historically drafted very well. With that comes expensive paydays, which are now starting to catch up to the Cowboys. Cooper was the first domino to fall, but players like DE Demarcus Lawrence and OT La’el Collins could be next. Because of QB Dak Prescott and HB Ezekiel Elliott’s hefty contracts, it gives the Cowboys less wiggle room, causing really good football players to be “cap casualties”. Luckily for Dallas, they still have a ton of talent on their roster and can easily pivot off some of these players, but how many players are too many until it becomes an issue? The Cowboys will have to revamp their roster quickly, or else they can fall into a tough situation going forward.

Stats from profootballreference.com

Contract Info from spotrac.com

Trade Details from cbssports.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas

With the season now well into the rear-view mirror, it is time to look ahead to free agency. Players cannot officially sign with teams until March 16th, which is when the new league year begins. Let us look ahead at three key positions that the Browns need to address. How Cleveland does in free agency will also be a tell-tale sign of what they do in the draft, which will happen at the end of April.

Wide Receiver

Probably the most glaring position of need on the Cleveland Browns is the wide receiver position. Cleveland’s WR room is led by Jarvis Landry, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Anthony Schwartz, but that is really it. Add on top of that Landry may not be in Cleveland next year due to contract and cap space issues. With that, Cleveland is starving for a receiver and there are a couple of viable options on the market. WR Davante Adams would be a dream, but it will probably stay as a dream. Other top receivers like Chris Godwin and Allen Robinson are also available, as well as JuJu Smith-Schuster, who played for the Steelers. Godwin is seemingly the best fit with his ability to get open and stretch the field and would complement well with Donovan Peoples-Jones. If they want a deep threat, they can also go after WR Michael Gallup. While free agency will dictate this, the Browns are likely to go through the draft for a receiver, but there are definitely options out there if need be.

Linebacker

Despite the emergence of rookie Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the Browns have question marks at their other starting linebacker positions. Anthony Walker is a free agent, while Sione Takitaki, Jacob Phillips, and Mack Wilson have yet to establish themselves as true starters. Because of that, Cleveland should look to sign a legitimate starter in free agency. There are no superstars on the market, but there are viable veterans like Dont’a Hightower and Jon Bostic who can be starters from day one. LB Chandler Jones is also available, but he would play defensive end for the Browns scheme since he is more of a pass rusher. Like receivers, the Browns can also go through the draft, but if they go through free agency, there are some veterans out there that can give the Browns consistent play that they need outside of JOK.

Defensive Lineman

Moving up a level on the defense, the Browns should address the defensive line in free agency, specifically DE Jadeveon Clowney. After signing a one-year deal with the Browns, Clowney flourished, totaling nine sacks, including 5.5 in the last three games. He was also good in the run game, totaling 11 tackles for loss and 37 total tackles, which were his best since 2018. If Cleveland wants, they can get the band back together and sign Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi for their interior, but that seems unlikely. If they lose Clowney, Emmanuel Ogbah is a very good option for the Browns, as well as Jason Pierre-Paul and Akiem Hicks. Also, there have been rumors that the Cowboys may cut DE DeMarcus Lawrence. If that does happen, Cleveland should jump at that opportunity if it is not too expensive of a signing. Complementing Myles Garrett is so important for not only his success, but the success of the defense as a whole, so signing big-time linemen, whether it is on the inside or the edge, will prove to be drastically important for Cleveland in 2022.

Info from profootballreference.com and spotrac.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas

In Week 3, the Cleveland Browns took on the Chicago Bears with both teams coming off a win and a record of 1-1. Chicago started their prized first-round draft pick, QB Justin Fields, for his first NFL start. Despite this, Cleveland took care of business at home, dominating the Bears by a score of 26-6. Let us dive into the stars of the game, take a look at the return of star WR Odell Beckham Jr., and other key aspects for the Browns victory.

Game Details

In the win, the Browns turned in a total team effort. Starting with the offensive side of the ball, QB Baker Mayfield played solidly while under pressure the whole game, going 19/31 with 246 yards and a touchdown pass to TE Austin Hooper. He finished the game with a QBR of 105.2 and has a 74% CMP through the first three weeks of the season. Mayfield spread the wealth once again, connecting with six different pass catchers, led by Beckham Jr. and HB Kareem Hunt. Hunt led the charge on offense with 155 total yards and a rushing TD. While they did not force a turnover, the Browns defense was as dominant as you can be, sacking Fields nine times in the victory. DE Myles Garrett had 4.5 of those, a franchise record.

On the short end, the Bears had nothing going on offense. Fields had a miserable day, completing just six passes with no touchdowns. The leading receiver on the Bears was Allen Robinson, who had just two catches for 27 yards. HB David Montgomery struggled as well, carrying the rock ten times for just 34 yards and no touchdowns. On a positive note, the Bears defense looked impressive in this game. Chicago sacked Mayfield five times, led by Khalil Mack, who registered two of those in the losing effort.

The Return of OBJ

It was a long wait, but the wait finally came to an end in Week 3 of 2021. The return of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns after suffering a torn ACL in Week 7 of last season. With WR Jarvis Landry going down with an injury in Week 2, Beckham’s presence was that much more needed in this game and going forward until Landry returns. In his first game back, OBJ led the Browns in receiving yards (77) and was second in catches with five, trailing only Kareem Hunt (6). After the game, Odell spoke to the media and stated that he “never got his legs under him” and was “exhausted” at the game’s end. These are all expected after a major story, but his presence was felt on the field. Look for Beckham Jr. to build off this game and continue to work his way back to the elite receiver he was before his injury.

Browns Defense Dominates

While yes, we grazed over the easy statistics for the Browns defense, what they did in Week 3 was truly incredible. Along with the nine sacks, Myles Garrett and crew held the Browns to ONE net passing yard… that is not a typo. The Browns also held them to a 30% CMP and 3.5 YPC. Their longest play of the game was a 48-yard pass interference that should have been an interception, but a suspect call by the referees erased that. Chicago was held to 47 yards of offense, six first downs, 1-12 on third and fourth down while having the ball for just over 20 minutes of game time. It was a truly dominating performance by the Browns defense and was needed badly after a poor showing the first two weeks of the season.

Rough Day at the Fields for Chicago

The way you can describe Justin Fields first NFL start… forgettable. Fields finished with a final line of 6/20 with 68 yards and no touchdowns, while also rushing three times for 12 yards. You can blame head coach Matt Nagy, Fields, or whoever you want to blame, this was an utter embarrassment by the Bears offense and for Fields. Fortunately, but unfortunately, Fields is not alone with his struggles as a rookie. Out of the four rookie QB’s who have started a game (Lawrence, Wilson, Fields, Jones) they have a combined nine passing TDs to a whopping 17 INT’s, sporting a combined record of 1-9. It has not been easy for the rookie quarterbacks in 2021.

Looking Ahead

Heading into Week 4, the Bears will look to avenge their loss as they host their division foe, the Detroit Lions (0-3) who are looking for their first win of the season. For Cleveland, they will have a tough task, traveling to Minnesota to take on Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings (1-2), who are coming off an impressive win over the Seattle Seahawks. To add to the drama, this will be Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski’s first game back in Minnesota after holding the offensive coordinator job there from 2018-2019 before being the head coach in Cleveland.

Stats from profootballreference.com

Schedule from nfl.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas